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Continental Divide Land Trust announces the recipients of the Summit's Great Outdoors Awards presented on Tuesday at the Silverthorne Pavilion. These community members deserve recognition for their outstanding work and dedication in preserving and protecting Summit County's open spaces, natural resources and outdoor recreation opportunities. The honorees are:

Gene & Therese Dayton: For their work creating and sustaining the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center that has been bringing people of all abilities to the outdoors, and promoting the joy of cross-country skiing through their Breckenridge Nordic and Frisco Nordic centers. They met 28 years ago working at the 10th anniversary of "Ski for Light" an international Nordic program for the visually impaired. They are honored also for finding practical new uses for lodgepole pine beetle-killed trees they turn on their innovative Empire 3000 Log Lathe. Nominator Marci Sloan of the BOEC said: "Their long-standing support of Summit County, year-round outdoor recreation and volunteer trail programs, and their advocacy for natural resource protection makes them a perfect match for this award."

Community Organizer: Ellen Hollinshead: For her work (almost singlehandedly) for getting the town of Breckenridge open space tax on the ballot and for promoting its successful passage, many years of service on the Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Council, and for her work on the Board of the Summit Fat Tire Society where she was crucial in forming comments on the White River Forest Travel Management plan, the Hidden Gems wilderness proposal and the recent wilderness initiative proposed by Sen. Mark Udall. Hollinshead also served on the Golden Horseshoe travel management advisory committee, the Upper Blue Nordic Master Plan Committee, formed the local chapter of the Backcountry Skiers Alliance and has been a courageous advocate for the preservation of Peak 6, concerned with forest health and wildlife habitat. Mike Zobbe, one of her nominators, said: "Ellen's passion and commitment to open space and trails is matched by few in our community and she is undoubtedly, a hall of famer."

Turk Montepare: For his work in the creation of the Summit County Open Space and Trails program, service as the first chair of the Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Council and his intimate involvement in the majority of the large land acquisitions undertaken by both programs. His leadership has helped protect more than 4,200 acres of open space lands and created an integrated network of trails for various user groups and abilities. The paramount example of this is his key involvement in the 1,840-acre B&B Mines negotiations: Montepare acted as a primary negotiator of this transaction that took approximately five years, and would likely have stalled without his facilitation and creative problem solving. Montepare's contacts in the community, knowledge of Summit County real estate and passion for creating public trails has been crucial to the success of both open space programs. A dynamic and spirited individual, Montepare is always willing to lend his sage, pragmatic advice and genuine enthusiasm when called upon to help protect Summit County's rural mountain character. Nominator Brian Lorch said: "Turk's 17 years of leadership has created a lasting legacy of open space and trails that Summit County residents and guests will enjoy for generations."

Scott Reid of the Breckenridge Open Space Department: For his work in advancing the Town of Breckenridge Open Space and Trails program, acquisition of open space parcels for the town of Breckenridge and in partnership with Summit County, working cooperatively with the U.S. Forest Service and local citizens and coalescing a loose and complicated assortment of trails and old mining roads into the comprehensive and well-planned trails system we know and enjoy today. Prior to coming to Breckenridge, Reid worked in the Summit County Open Space & Trails program and has been a valued liaison between the organizations. Reid's anonymous nominator said: "Scott has helped to ensure that more of our wild spaces stay wild, and our quality of life stays high."

Laura and Steve Rossetter: For their philanthropy, activism and advocacy for open spaces, trails, and access. Laura wrote the first guide to mountain biking in Summit County and was instrumental in the founding and success of the Summit Fat Tire Society. Many of the trails we enjoy today were first documented by Laura. She remains an active advocate for trails and mountain biking. Laura and Steve are frequent volunteers for trails and other projects. Laura and Steve are generous supporters of Continental Divide Land Trust any many local environmental causes through their family foundation.

John Taylor: For his work educating the community about noxious weeds, heading up Pulling for Colorado Weed Pull for five years, working with numerous organizations for weed control, and as board member and volunteer of the Friends of the Eagles Nest Wilderness, Friends of the Lower Blue River, and volunteer with the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, past chair of the State of Colorado Noxious Weed Board and CDLT site monitor, all with an eye toward those pesky noxious weeds. Taylor has been successful in writing grants for the past six years up to $10,000 yearly to the National Forest Foundation for outfitters to treat weeds in the Eagles Nest Wilderness and contiguous forests.The land trust also recognized other community members who were nominated: Bob Berwyn, Tim & Patti Casey, John Fielder, Joanna Hopkins, Frank Lilly, Brian Lorch, Dave Miller, Rhonda Pederson, Nancy Redner, Dan Schroder and Steve Swanson. CDLT board members and staff are not eligible for the awards.Each honoree was presented with a framed photo of a Summit County scene donated by local photographers Mark Fox, John LeCoq, Todd Powell, Carl Scofield, Gary Soles and Bob Winsett. The Summit's Great Outdoors Awards are offered only every five years. This year's recipients join Currie Craven, Howard Giberson, Scott Hummer, Tom Jones, Sr., Todd Robertson, Paul Semmer, Alexandra Storm and Susan and Win Lockwood, who were recognized in 2007. The awards were presented at Summit's Great Outdoors Celebration which included a slideshow by John Fielder on his latest books acknowledging 20 years of Great Outdoors Colorado entitled: "Colorado's Great Outdoors: Celebrating 20 Years of Lottery-Funded Lands."